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Books & Boos is a bookstore that opened last year on Nov. 20. It’s located in Colchester, CT and is owned by Stacey and Jason Harris.

The bookstore offers previously read books, of which they have over 5,000. Not all of them are at the store, so if you don’t see something be sure to ask since they may have it in storage. Along with the previously read books, they have new books. The new books include ones by local authors who live in Connecticut and throughout New England. Some of the titles are Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole and Bad Apple by Kristi Petersen Schoonover, The Authority of Outhouse/Backhouse/Privy Building by Georg Papp, Sr., Die, You Bastard! Die! by Jan Kozlowski, Beware the Hawk by A.J. O’Connell, and From Schoolboy to Soldier by Quincy S. Abbot, to name just a few of the books by local authors.

The bookstore also sells unusual novelties like black cats made from reused flatware and zombie gnomes. No one’s garden is complete without a zombie gnome.

Portrait of Edgar Allan Poe by Amanda Doughty

There are also paintings for sale including a portrait of Edgar Allan Poe created with ink and coffee by Amanda Doughty, an artist living in Norwich, Connecticut. Another Poe design by her has been placed on a gray t-shirt, which is being sold at the bookstore.

You can find Books & Boos at 514 Westchester Road in Colchester, Connecticut or online here. They also have a Facebook page and Twitter page.

The Rhode Island Comic Con happens this weekend in Providence at the Convention Center and members of the New England Horror Writers will be there.

Author Don Franklin, who has his own table at the convention, will have his first novel, Reaper’s Walk: Hellstone, on hand and will be autographing copies.

According to Grayhart Press, the book’s publisher, “follow The Reaper’s Walk series of supernatural thrillers as Lita and her family — descendants of a dark witch from the 18th century — form fragile alliances and fight desperate battles with demons, werewolves, witches, and vampires in an attempt to capture the Circle of Stones and escape their doom … because after waiting 10 generations, the Reaper is coming to collect his due.”

The books official launch was Oct. 31 and it will be available through Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, iTunes and other booksellers in a few weeks, the publisher has told Franklin.

Authors at the Official NEHW Table

The other NEHW members, who will be at Comic Con, are Stacey Longo (Epitaphs, Pookie and the Lost and Found Friend) Rob Watts (Huldufolk), Kristi Petersen Schoonover (Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole, Bad Apple) and Scott Goudsward (Epitaphs, Call of Lovecraft).

Check out the convention’s website hereand see what celebrites are going to be signing during the weekend. After getting celebrity autographs, don’t forget to come on by and say hello to all the NEHW members at the convention.

The convention center is located at 1 Sabin Street in Providence, Rhode Island.

The New England Horror Writers’ Association (NEHW) will be appearing at the South Windsor Strawberry Festival & Craft Fair on Saturday, June 16 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Published writers and illustrators will be on hand to sell books, magazines, and prints.

Scheduled to appear at the event is Robert J. Duperre, author of The Gate and Dead of Winter, among other titles. This is Duperre’s first NEHW appearance. He will be available to sign books and answer questions throughout the day.

Also on hand will be Stacey Longo, who has had over 15 short stories published in anthologies and magazines, including Epitaphs, Malicious Deviance, Shroud, and Shock Totem. Other writers on hand will be Kristi Petersen Schoonover (Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole: Tales from Haunted Disney World, In Poe’s Shadow), Rob Watts (Huldufolk) and David Price (Tales from the Grave).

Also appearing will be illustrator Jesse Young. This is also Young’s first appearance at a NEHW event. He has illustrated the cover art for a number of DuPerre’s novels.

The festival and craft fair is being head at Nevers Road Park, which is across from the South Windsor Police Station. The admission is free. Check out the festival’s website, www.berryfest.org, for more information about entertainment and other vendors.

A Day at the ‘Dirt Mall’ in New Haven

by Rob Watts

It was a slow start, but the day improved as it moved forth. I hit the road from Boston at 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning to be in New Haven, CT. by 8:30a.m.

The author signing event was held at the Trolley Square Mall in downtown New Haven. When I pulled up in front of the building, all I could think about was the Dirt Mall from Mallrats. Funny enough, NEHW event coordinator Jason Harris told me he had that same impression as he arrived. As I was expecting to see a booth for topless fortune-telling by a woman with a third nipple, I was pleasantly surprised to enter a cool looking converted old factory, which was slowly taking shape in the form of a shopping mall.

The event started at 10:00 a.m., but things really didn’t start to pick up until noon. In the meantime, there were friends to be made around us, as there were so many nice people selling their handmade crafts from all over New England as well as New York and New Jersey. Shortly after noon, Stacey Longo, myself and Kristi Petersen-Schoonover took center stage to entertain the mall-goers with live readings from our books, Epitaphs, Huldufolk and Skeletons in the Swimming’ Hole. It went very well and attracted more people over to our booth, in which the three of us made some nice book sales after that. The best sale of the day was the woman who asked Kristi about the topic of her book. When she told her it was Disney ghost stories, the woman in a split-second reaction shouted “SOLD!” I myself appreciated the death metal fan girl for purchasing my book so she could check out The Traffic Lights soundtrack that came with it.

Rob Watts signing his book for the death metal fan. Photo by Stacey Longo.

Later in the day, we were joined by authors Nathan Wrann and Kasey Shoemaker.

New England Horror Writers’ Members

The event itself was great, but the fun part is having the chance to just hang out with our friends and fellow writers. Also worth mentioning is the fact that the coordinators of the craft show were really awesome and accommodating towards us throughout the day so many thanks to those fine women who made it happen. And thanks to Jason Harris and Stacey Longo of the NEHW for setting up yet another stella signing event.

NEHW members will be signing their books at the Stratford Spring Showcase of Crafts this Saturday.

Authors Stacey Longo, Kristi Petersen Schoonover and Rob Watts, who are NEHW members, will be selling and signing their books. The books on hand include Bram Stoker Nominated Epitaphs, the first NEHW anthology, Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole – Tales from Haunted Disney World, and Huldufólk.

The Stratford Spring Showcase of Crafts happens from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will take place at the Stratford Hotel & Conference Center, located at 225 Lordship Blvd. in Stratford, Connecticut.